THIS is apropos the front page report in Metro South (Feb 14). Traffic in Karachi is indeed in a mess. The simultaneous rebuilding of major arteries, encroachments and lack of police supervision are to be blamed for this traffic chaos.

It took me half an hour to cross the Bahadurabad roundabout at midnight on Feb 11 because the entire area had become a free parking zone for the surrounding eateries with no traffic police in sight. The provincial government is on a spending spree on ‘pork barrel’ projects of questionable benefit.

At Tariq Road and University Road, traffic jams result from multiple parking, encroachments and unruly traffic. Now re-carpeting work has begun on the best road in the city — Sharea Faisal. The track from Hotel Metropole to Karsaz is wide enough and there is no room on either side.

However, from Karsaz to airport, it needs to be widened but the defence establishments located on both sides may not permit the civil administration to add another track.

No urgency is being shown for completing the long-delayed Lyari Expressway and Karachi Circular Railway. Both projects are vital for restoring some sanity in city traffic.

Asif Jah

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017